University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Thursday, May 12
Mobile, Ala.
10 a.m.
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
41-7
13
vs
1
Georgia State
31-27
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Georgia State
0
1
0
0
0
1
3
2
UL Lafayette
2
11
0
0
X
13
9
1
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stewart, Alex (26-4)
L: Chance, Amanda (7-7)
Base Running:
RUNS: Skalski, Brenna 1
Batting:
2B: Craighton, Aleah 1 ; Corbello, Sara 1
RBI: Hayden, Haley 2 ; Landry, Shellie 1 ; Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1 ; Craighton, Aleah 3 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Martinez, Kelli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hayden, Haley 2 ; Landry, Shellie 2 ; Elkins, Lexie 1 ; Vincent, Kelsey 1 ; Craighton, Aleah 1 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Corbello, Sara 1 ; Smith, Kendall 1 ; Gremillion, Kara 2 ; Martinez, Kelli 1
HBP: Corbello, Sara 1 ; Gremillion, Kara 2 ; Martinez, Kelli 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
P
/ SoftballDP
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball2B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
1B
/ Softball
Second Inning Surge Advances Cajuns in Winner's Bracket
5/12/2016 3:24:00 PM | Softball
MOBILE, Ala. – An 11-run eruption in their first at bat following a 40-minute weather delay allowed No. 9-ranked Ragin' Cajuns Softball to pull away for a 13-1 (5 inn.) win over Georgia State in the first winner's bracket game of the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Softball Tournament at Jaguar Field.
Leading 2-1 heading into the bottom of the second inning the Ragin' Cajuns (41-7) sent 14 batters to the plate before an out was recorded, triggering the decisive 11-run frame.
The win moves Louisiana into Friday's 11 a.m. winner's bracket final against the South Alabama-Texas State winner with a spot in the championship game on the line.
"Our kids came out prepared, had a lot of energy and were focused and ready to go," Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "In this kind of situation it's not how you start, but how you finish. We need to get some rest, keep the energy and excitement, and stay focused.
"This tournament setting is always a great environment," Lotief added. "I believe it's going to bring out the best in us. It's going to be war before it's all said and done and will challenge us."
Aleah Craighton (.378, 16 HR, 47 RBI) led the charge for the Ragin' Cajuns with a game-high three RBI produced by a 2-for-3 performance that included a double. Craighton picked up her 12th multiple-RBI game, netting at least three RBI for the eighth time.
Haley Hayden (.372, 7 HR, 44 RBI) was the other Cajun with multiple RBI, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. The two hits by Hayden pushed her over 60 base hits for the third straight season and marked her team-leading 18th multiple-hit game of the season.
Three-time Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year and USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 finalist Lexie Elkins (.524, 17 HR, 42 RBI) returned to action after missing the previous 18 games with a thumb injury. She caught behind the plate for the first two innings and the fifth inning. She went 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI single in the second inning.
Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Alex Stewart (26-4, 1.40 ERA) worked the first two innings in the circle yielding two hits and an unearned run. The sizeable advantage after two innings allowed her to rest the remainder of the game as Victoria Brown (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K), Macey Smith (0.2 IP, 0 H) and Alison Deville (0.1 IP, 0 H) combined to pitch the final three innings.
Before the weather delay, the Ragin' Cajuns hitters provided Stewart with the lead. Hayden led off the bottom of the first with a single and Landry walked. Both would score on a two-out single from Craighton and subsequent error by GSU right fielder Remington Hasty.
When play resumed the Panthers greeted Stewart with back-to-back singles, then a passed ball moved the runners to second and third with no outs. The Cajuns picked up two quick outs as Kara Gremillion fielded a grounder from Hasty and tagged out Mandy Blackwell retreating to the third base bag and Hayden picked up a grounder and tagged Hasty moving to second base.
The Panthers would get a run across as Hayden attempted to turn a double play at first base, but the throw got away from Kelsey Vincent allowing Breanna Skalski to score and cut the Cajuns lead to 2-1.
Stewart induced a ground ball out from Morgan Brown to close out the top of the second inning, then beginning with a leadoff single from Sara Corbello the Ragin' Cajuns began building the 11-run second inning.
The scoring spree began with back-to-back RBI singles from Kelli Martinez and Hayden. After Shellie Landry walked to load the bases, the advantage grew to 9-1 when runs scored in successive at bats from Elkins (RBI single), Vincent (bases-loaded walk), Craighton (two-run double) and DJ Sanders (RBI single).
GSU reliever Chelsea Stanfield's first two offerings during an at bat by Gremillion led to two more runs that brought the lead into double figures at 11-1. Hayden added her second RBI single of the inning before the Panthers and starting pitcher Amanda Chance, who re-entered the game, could end the Cajuns' at bat.
The score held throughout the remainder on the contest as Brown retired six of the seven GSU batters she faced and Smith and Deville combined to retire the Panthers in order in the fifth inning.
DIAMOND NOTES: The Ragin' Cajuns won their Sun Belt Tournament opener for the seventh straight season…Louisiana improved to 51-8 all-time in the SBC Tournament which now includes a 5-0 mark at Jaguar Field…The 13 runs scored by the Ragin' Cajuns were the most in a Sun Belt Tournament game since plating 15 vs. Florida Atlantic in the 2013 event held in Troy... Louisiana opened SBC Tournament play with Georgia State for the second straight year; the Cajuns defeated GSU 10-2 (6 inn.) last season in San Marcos, Texas…The Ragin' Cajuns improved to 2-0 in SBC Tournament games vs. GSU and extended their series win streak over the Panthers to 15 games…Lexie Elkins saw her first game action since the March 29 doubleheader at Baylor…Haley Hayden has now posted at least one hit in 38 of 48 games this season…Hayden, who has gone the entire season without consecutive hitless games, extended her current hitting streak (10th different streak of the season) to four games…Kara Gremillion, who has hit by a pitch twice, extended her team-leading reached base streak to 17 games…Aleah Craighton's double in the second inning was her team-leading 11th of the season which is a new career-high (had 10 doubles as a redshirt freshman in 2015)…Ragin' Cajuns pitching held the opposition to two runs or fewer for the 35th time in 48 games…In 24 games against Sun Belt foes, Cajuns pitchers have limited them to two runs or less in 20 of 24 opportunities…Kara Gremillion also played error-free for the 14th straight game, having last committed an error on April 9 at Georgia State and only three errors all season long…Alex Stewart, who tossed 17 scoreless innings vs. ULM last weekend, extended her current string of scoreless innings pitched to 19-1/3 innings, last allowing a run on May 1 at Georgia Southern…Over her last 10 appearances, starting April 23 vs. App State, Stewart has surrendered only three runs (two earned) over a span of 41 innings pitched…Louisiana improved to 35-0 when scoring first; in those 35 wins, the Ragin' Cajuns have relinquished the lead only twice (4th inn. of Game 1 vs. TTU; 5th inn of Game 2 at GSU)…Louisiana's offense produced double digits in runs for the 18th time (18-0 record).
Leading 2-1 heading into the bottom of the second inning the Ragin' Cajuns (41-7) sent 14 batters to the plate before an out was recorded, triggering the decisive 11-run frame.
The win moves Louisiana into Friday's 11 a.m. winner's bracket final against the South Alabama-Texas State winner with a spot in the championship game on the line.
"Our kids came out prepared, had a lot of energy and were focused and ready to go," Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "In this kind of situation it's not how you start, but how you finish. We need to get some rest, keep the energy and excitement, and stay focused.
"This tournament setting is always a great environment," Lotief added. "I believe it's going to bring out the best in us. It's going to be war before it's all said and done and will challenge us."
Aleah Craighton (.378, 16 HR, 47 RBI) led the charge for the Ragin' Cajuns with a game-high three RBI produced by a 2-for-3 performance that included a double. Craighton picked up her 12th multiple-RBI game, netting at least three RBI for the eighth time.
Haley Hayden (.372, 7 HR, 44 RBI) was the other Cajun with multiple RBI, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. The two hits by Hayden pushed her over 60 base hits for the third straight season and marked her team-leading 18th multiple-hit game of the season.
Three-time Sun Belt Conference Student-Athlete of the Year and USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 finalist Lexie Elkins (.524, 17 HR, 42 RBI) returned to action after missing the previous 18 games with a thumb injury. She caught behind the plate for the first two innings and the fifth inning. She went 1-for-4 at the plate with an RBI single in the second inning.
Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year Alex Stewart (26-4, 1.40 ERA) worked the first two innings in the circle yielding two hits and an unearned run. The sizeable advantage after two innings allowed her to rest the remainder of the game as Victoria Brown (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 K), Macey Smith (0.2 IP, 0 H) and Alison Deville (0.1 IP, 0 H) combined to pitch the final three innings.
Before the weather delay, the Ragin' Cajuns hitters provided Stewart with the lead. Hayden led off the bottom of the first with a single and Landry walked. Both would score on a two-out single from Craighton and subsequent error by GSU right fielder Remington Hasty.
When play resumed the Panthers greeted Stewart with back-to-back singles, then a passed ball moved the runners to second and third with no outs. The Cajuns picked up two quick outs as Kara Gremillion fielded a grounder from Hasty and tagged out Mandy Blackwell retreating to the third base bag and Hayden picked up a grounder and tagged Hasty moving to second base.
The Panthers would get a run across as Hayden attempted to turn a double play at first base, but the throw got away from Kelsey Vincent allowing Breanna Skalski to score and cut the Cajuns lead to 2-1.
Stewart induced a ground ball out from Morgan Brown to close out the top of the second inning, then beginning with a leadoff single from Sara Corbello the Ragin' Cajuns began building the 11-run second inning.
The scoring spree began with back-to-back RBI singles from Kelli Martinez and Hayden. After Shellie Landry walked to load the bases, the advantage grew to 9-1 when runs scored in successive at bats from Elkins (RBI single), Vincent (bases-loaded walk), Craighton (two-run double) and DJ Sanders (RBI single).
GSU reliever Chelsea Stanfield's first two offerings during an at bat by Gremillion led to two more runs that brought the lead into double figures at 11-1. Hayden added her second RBI single of the inning before the Panthers and starting pitcher Amanda Chance, who re-entered the game, could end the Cajuns' at bat.
The score held throughout the remainder on the contest as Brown retired six of the seven GSU batters she faced and Smith and Deville combined to retire the Panthers in order in the fifth inning.
DIAMOND NOTES: The Ragin' Cajuns won their Sun Belt Tournament opener for the seventh straight season…Louisiana improved to 51-8 all-time in the SBC Tournament which now includes a 5-0 mark at Jaguar Field…The 13 runs scored by the Ragin' Cajuns were the most in a Sun Belt Tournament game since plating 15 vs. Florida Atlantic in the 2013 event held in Troy... Louisiana opened SBC Tournament play with Georgia State for the second straight year; the Cajuns defeated GSU 10-2 (6 inn.) last season in San Marcos, Texas…The Ragin' Cajuns improved to 2-0 in SBC Tournament games vs. GSU and extended their series win streak over the Panthers to 15 games…Lexie Elkins saw her first game action since the March 29 doubleheader at Baylor…Haley Hayden has now posted at least one hit in 38 of 48 games this season…Hayden, who has gone the entire season without consecutive hitless games, extended her current hitting streak (10th different streak of the season) to four games…Kara Gremillion, who has hit by a pitch twice, extended her team-leading reached base streak to 17 games…Aleah Craighton's double in the second inning was her team-leading 11th of the season which is a new career-high (had 10 doubles as a redshirt freshman in 2015)…Ragin' Cajuns pitching held the opposition to two runs or fewer for the 35th time in 48 games…In 24 games against Sun Belt foes, Cajuns pitchers have limited them to two runs or less in 20 of 24 opportunities…Kara Gremillion also played error-free for the 14th straight game, having last committed an error on April 9 at Georgia State and only three errors all season long…Alex Stewart, who tossed 17 scoreless innings vs. ULM last weekend, extended her current string of scoreless innings pitched to 19-1/3 innings, last allowing a run on May 1 at Georgia Southern…Over her last 10 appearances, starting April 23 vs. App State, Stewart has surrendered only three runs (two earned) over a span of 41 innings pitched…Louisiana improved to 35-0 when scoring first; in those 35 wins, the Ragin' Cajuns have relinquished the lead only twice (4th inn. of Game 1 vs. TTU; 5th inn of Game 2 at GSU)…Louisiana's offense produced double digits in runs for the 18th time (18-0 record).
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